How Customers Buy…& Why They Don’t

Mapping and Managing the Buying Journey DNA

by Martyn R. Lewis

“Turns out, it’s not about selling any more.  It’s about buying. This book is going to be a seminal work in the evolution of commercial success in the early part of the 21st century.”

— Scott C. Lewis [no relation], CEO Roundtable

In today’s interconnected world with its abundance of information, choice, and marketing, how customers buy has drastically changed.  Never has there been more of a disconnect between how companies go to market and how those markets actually buy. Whether you’re an executive, an entrepreneur, a marketer, or a salesperson, it’s time to look beyond how you sell and focus on how your customers buy.

Enter the definitive guidebook for successful revenue generation, How Customers Buy…& Why They Don’t: Mapping and Managing the Buying Journey DNA (Radius Books, August 15, 2018), by Martyn R. Lewis. In the mid ‘90s, after more than two decades in corporate sales and marketing from front-line sales rep to CEO of a large multinational, Martyn R. Lewis launched his own company, Market-Partners Inc. He and his team not only interacted with their clients, but also reached out to their clients’ customers and made some illuminating and startling discoveries. Because even when the sales efforts were strong and the products were great, all too often customers didn’t buy. Something was wrong, something was missing.

From that point on came more than 15 years of research that has led to the author’s compelling argument that businesses must look beyond their own internal view of how something is sold, to the external reality of how customers actually buy.

Says Lewis, “This is not another new selling methodology, nor is it a replacement for good sales skills and training. It is rather an evolutionary and somewhat radical re-focus on what is actually going on in the customer’s buying journey.”

Part one of How Customers Buy introduces the author’s foundational concept of Outside-in Revenue Generation. He decodes the six elements of the Customer Buying Journey DNA, defines the nine Buying Concerns, and unveils the elegant 4Q Buying Style Quadrant that unlocks the intricacies of how buyers actually think. Part two then takes all that has been discussed and answers the question “What to Do About It?”. This section rests on the major premise of “Changing the course of events,” wherein the author reveals that there are only four things that can be done to positively impact the market. He then turns to their practical application with the development of the Market Engagement Strategy and the five essential elements contained within. Part three translates that strategy into actual sales and marketing actions. He introduces the CBJ Navigator, the powerful tool for bringing all aspects of Outside-In Revenue Generation to the enterprise. Also included in the book are many real-life examples and two highly-detailed case studies and analyses.

From startups to Fortune 500 companies, How Customers Buy is a wake-up call to all those whose livelihood depends on successful revenue generation.

In credible, readable and practical terms, Lewis challenges readers to rethink their current methods, revealing:

• Stop solving the wrong problem: Research shows that most customers do “get it”, they understand the value and ROI of offerings.
• Discover the six elements of the customer buying journey DNA
• Understand the nine buying concerns, any one of which can derail the buying journey
• Get inside the customer’s mind: How the 4Q Quadrant unlocks how buyers actually think
• The four key sales and marketing rules that will positively impact your results
• The five essential components of the market engagement strategy
• No Sale? What to do when customers aren’t buying your products or services

Parts of the proceeds from How Customers Buy will be donated to victims of the Sonoma County 2017 Wildfires.

Learn more and get your copy of the book at buyingjourneydna.com.